Overview

Teaching: 5 min
Exercises: 10 min

Questions

• What is Missing Maps?

• How do I sign up for a OSM account?

• How do I find a HOTOSM task?

• How do I use the editor and save my work?

Objectives

• Gain familiarity with Missing Maps

• Create an OpenStreetMap account

• Find a suitable HOTOSM task

• Become familiar with the digitization editor

• Make a contribution to open-source data

Overview

Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help map areas where humanitarian organizations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people. Mapping tasks are managed by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team HOTOSM platform, which we will use to hand-digitize infrastructure from satellite imagery.

In this tutorial you will get set up with a HOTOSM account and contribute to open-source vector data. These data will become immediately available to the public and via the OSM API.

Setting up your account

Set up an account for OpenStreetMap

Please use a browser like Google, Chrome, or Safari.

Go to https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/new and sign up for a OSM account.

A confirmation email will be sent to the email you provided. Please log in to your email and confirm your new OSM account by clicking on the confirmation link.

Select a HOTOSM task and area to map

• Go to https://tasks.hotosm.org.
• Click Login in the top right corner and follow the prompts to grant access to your account.
• Add your email contact details to your profile.
• Click ‘Start Mapping’ in the center of the screen.
• From the first dropdown menu on the left select Mapping Difficulty: “Beginner”.
• Further down on the left, under Type(s) of mapping, check ‘Buildings’.

Now the list of tasks has been filtered to tasks similar to the one we will use during the tutorial.

• Select a task that has a low Mapped percentage (<80%).
• Read the instructions specific to the task you selected. Pay specific attention to the type of basemap you should use to digitize imagery from.
• Zoom in to the area of interest.
• Select a translucent ‘Ready’ square. If you didn’t do so in an earlier step, you may need to edit your profile and add your contact details before you can proceed.
• Switch to Map tab on the left next to the map and click the orange ‘Start Mapping’ button.

Mapping instructions

• Select an ‘iD Editor’ and ‘START EDITOR’.
• To add a building: click on the ‘area’ button and trace the building outline. Double-click to finish. Be sure to switch to the background imagery intended for the task by using the stacked layer symbol on the right of the map.
• To classify the area: on the left side of the screen, click ‘Building Features’, then scroll down and click ‘Building’ again. The building you traced will turn red.

Saving your work

• Click the ‘Save’ button at the top right of the map area.
• On the left side of the screen, click ‘Upload’ to confirm.
• That’s it!

You have now contributed to open-source data. Thank you for your help. Your edits will be part of the map, and available for anyone to view, edit, and use.

Key Points

• You are all set up with a HOTOSM account and ready for the Missing Maps turorial on day 1 at Geohackweek 2019!

• Later during the hackweek, we will revisit accessing these vector data through the OSM API and explore ways to automate digitizing features of interest using raster, vector and machine learning methods.

• We use the classification of buildings as a straight-forward example to teach data science skills that can be applied to any domain interested in classifying and analyzing features of interest (natural or man made) from imagery.

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